CUUPS Convocation is Taking Shape!

CUUPS Convocation is Taking Shape! June 29, 2016

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Historic Salem National Maritime Site – Photo © Kishgraphics

CUUPS Convocation 2016 is in the last couple of months of planning, before participants from all over the country arrive in Salem, MA for the event on August 26-28 All are welcome…CUUPS members, ministers, seminarians, and those interested in UU Paganism, earth and nature centered spirituality on all levels. All there is to do now is to Register!

We will be at  First Church Salem Unitarian Universalist, which is a congregation that dates back to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and the vast maritime history of the city during the China Trade. There are plenty of museums to visit. Wonderful places to walk around. Salem is also a small paradise when it comes to restaurants and anything food related! We are working with some of them to create discounts for participants.

Another fun update…We are creating a program book for the weekend. If you have a business, chapter, or organization that is in alignment with CUUPS and Unitarian Universalist values we invite you to contact Lynn or Jerrie for an insertion order.

What’s Planned?

Speakers and presenters have been sending they workshop information. Here is what we have so far:

  • Tours Around the City are all self guided. Some venues will have discounts for those wearing their name tags from the event. We will have a full list at Convocation Registration along with maps and visitor guides of the city.
  • Byron Ballard will speak about Old Wild Magic of the Motherlands, Spirit Haunted Landscape: the Spirits of the Land and of Our Ancestors. Byron will do a keynote about “Can You Blessed Be?
  • John Beckett will share about “Daily Spiritual Practice for Pagans” as well as a keynote “Mission & Vision: What Chapters and Members can learn from the 2-14 CUUPS Survey.”
  • Gypsy Ravish will share a documentary called “From Salem with Love.”
  • Lauren Estan will be creating a labyrinth for us to enter and discover what there is for us to learn for ourselves.
  • Rev. Shirley Ranck brings incredible wisdoms and is considering workshops about the development of Cakes for the Queen of Heaven and presenting about a book she is working on with Jerrie Hildebrand called “Born of the Earth: Voices of UU Pagans and Earth-Centered Spirituality.”  On Sundaymorning, she will be delivering the sermon for our CUUPS led worship service at the church.
  • Rev. Amy Beltaine is creating workshops and roundtables for UU ministers interested in incorporating Earth-centered and Pagan traditions into services, or are new ministers coming into UUism and are Pagan.
  • Panels being created about prison ministry, creating chapters, and more.
  • A Community Feast Ritual to celebrate our awakening tribe and earth/nature centered thinking. As part of the ritual, we will have a time for participants to share poetry, chants, songs and music.
  • Rituals, Attunements & Sunday Worship Service

Time to Get Registered is NOW!

Click here to register! You can pay online with all major credit cards.

Registration Fees for the Weekend

Register by August 15, 2016:            $125.00 Adults / $ 70.00 Teens

Saturday Only Rates:                          $65.00 Adults & Teens

Register by clicking here!

Getting to Salem – Where to Stay & Eat?

TRANSPORTATION

You will want to fly into Boston’s Logan Airport. Here there are several ways to get to Salem. Taxis will run about $60-65 dollars roughly. There is always Uber. If you are adventurous you can take the subway to North Station and hop on the train to Salem. It stops about 3 blocks from the church. You can also take the water taxi from the airport to Long Wharf in Boston and hop the Salem Ferry for about $45 round trip.

Car rentals are available at the airport. Parking at the church is tight, so you will need to park at the lot at the YMCA or the garage downtown or the train station. From there you can walk or hop on the Salem Trolley for a small fee.

ACCOMMODATIONS

There are many bed and breakfasts, large hotels, boutique hotels and camping in Salem. You can find a list of area accommodations at Salem.org and NorthofBoston.org.

We also suggest AirBnB.com for options that may be less expensive. Some are even in historic homes in the city.

If you want to camp you must call ahead to reserve space at Winter Island. A map of sites can be found here. The site is beautiful and overlooks Salem Harbor. It has picnic areas, a beach and the local trolley goes through there through the daylight hours.

FOOD

Food venues abound in Salem!!! From delightful coffee shops, pubs, breakfast nooks, vegetarian, pizza, bakeries, light fare and fine dining, you can find plenty to eat. Steve’s Market and Milk & Honey are the two small grocers downtown. We promise you will not be hungry.

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Stay tune! See you soon!!


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